Accessibility links

Breaking News

Build a Trends widget

update

What's inside this article:


Basic information

What is a Trends widget?

A Trends widget lists the current "trending" content pages from your site. This means content pages that have received a high number of views within a specified time period (based on Adobe Analytics data).

What customization options are available for a Trends widget?

You can customize the items listed on a Trends widget as follows:

  • Time period: List only items published within a specified time period.
  • Content type: List only specific content types (such as Articles).
  • Categories: List only items from a specific Category.

Combine these settings to create a Trends widget that is tailored for a specific audience.

For more information, go to Add content.

How often is a Trends widget updated?

The items listed on a Trends widget are updated automatically every 30 minutes.

Can I stop old content from being listed on a Trends widget?

Yes. To ensure that a Trends widget only lists recently published content pages, enable the Limit content by Publication date setting.

For more information, go to Add content.

Why does the number of views for an item sometimes go down?

The widget shows the number of views during the selected Time period. For example, if Time period is set to last 24 hours, the widget displays the number of views in the last 24 hours. For this reason, the number of views for each item might go up and down over time.

NOTE: A Trends widget does not display the number of views by default. You can enable this option in the Content section of the widget builder.



Build a new widget

The following pages and segments might include a Trends widget:

  • Section pages (including your homepage)
  • Infopages
  • Landings
  • Regions
  • You Might Also Like (YMAL)

To build a new Trends widget:

  1. Go to Build in the primary navigation.
  2. Choose the type of page / segment where you want to display the widget.
  3. Select the specific page / segment where you want to display the widget.
  4. Ensure Editor is selected in the left panel.
  5. Select the empty area where you want to display the widget.
  6. Select New widget > Trends to start building a new Trends widget.

The widget builder opens in the same tab. The remaining sections in this article will walk you through each stage of the process.

NOTE: You can also build a new Trends widget from the Widget library.



Add content

In the Content section, choose which content items are listed on the widget.

The following options are available:


Max items

Enter the maximum number of items that is listed on the widget. The highest number you can enter is 10.

For example, if you enter 5, the widget lists 5 items (if 5 items are available that meet your defined criteria). If 5 valid items are not available, the widget lists fewer items.


Time period

Set the time period from which the widget data is taken. For example, if you select last 24 hours, only page views from the last 24 hours are counted. All page views within the specified time period are counted by default. This means that older items might be listed on the widget if they receive enough views.

Tick the box next to Limit content by Publication date if you do not want the widget to list older items. When you enable this option, only items published during the selected Time period are listed on the widget.

For example, if you enable Limit content by Publication date when last 24 hours is selected under Time period, only items published in the last 24 hours are listed on the widget.


Content type

Optionally select one or more content types. Only the selected content types are listed on the widget. If you do not select a content type, the widget might list any type of content.


Categories

Optionally select one or more Categories. Only content pages from the selected Categories are listed on the widget. If you do not select a Category, the widget might list content pages from any Category.

If you enable Primary category only, the widget only lists items that use a selected Category as the Primary Category.


Number of views

If you tick Display number of views, the widget displays the number of views for each listed item.

For more information about how the number of views for each item is generated, go to the following section:

NOTE: From the Site localization tool in Pangea CMS, your site can localize the text that is displayed for "Views" on the public site. Manage this text using the Responsive.Label.Views configuration key.



Add a header / footer

A Trends widget might include one or both of the following elements:

  • (A): Header: Displayed above the widget. The header might be text-only, or it might function as a link to another page. If preferred, you can use an image as the header.
  • (B): Footer: Displayed below the widget. The footer always functions as a link to another page.

In the Settings section, optionally add a header and / or a footer.

The steps for adding the header / footer are the same for every widget. For detailed information, see the following article:



Add a custom widget name

Via Settings > Widget name, optionally customize the default widget name.

The Widget name is visible only in Pangea CMS (not on the public site). We suggest providing a descriptive name if your site uses the Widget list tool in CMS to manage widgets.



Send Trends data to mobile app

Tick to display the Trends widget on the old version of the mobile app homepage. Mobile app users who have not yet updated to the latest app version still see the old version of the homepage.

IMPORTANT: The Send Trends data to mobile app setting does not impact the latest version of the mobile app homepage.

To learn how to manage the latest version of the mobile app homepage, see the alternative article below:



Preview the widget

In the Preview section, check how the Trends widget will look when it is published on the public site. Select Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile to preview the widget on devices with different screen sizes.

You might see the following error message:

  • "We did not find any data matching your defined criteria. Try changing the criteria via the Content tab."

This means that no published content pages on the public site currently meet the criteria you defined under Content. We suggest returning to the Content tab and widening the criteria. For example, you might add additional Categories or content types.



Set the status and save the widget

Before saving the Trends widget, select your preferred status using the drop-down menu in the top-right corner:

  • Enabled: After you save the widget, it will be immediately visible on the public site (if it is included on a published page).
  • Disabled: After you save the widget, it will not be visible on the public site. However, it will be available for further editing in CMS.

Select Save or Save & close to save the widget.


Need help?

XS
SM
MD
LG